[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith our lives becoming more and more competitive with every passing moment, humans are downing into a fist of depression, anxiety and loneliness. We all lose our mind easily, get angry and make stupid decisions only to regret later.
With no concrete faith to hold on to, our lives seem more meaningless than ever with no purpose to follow. Thus futility adds all the more to our sorrows. Following a deity blindly is no more viable. It is much more suitable to stick to ideas instead that makes our life simple.
One such later, who is renowned for his spiritual teachings that help one to live better is Siddhartha. Founder of Buddhism, Gautama was a great leader from ancient India who in most Buddhist traditions is considered the Supreme Buddha. “Buddha” is interpreted to mean “awakened one” or “the enlightened one.”
Here are some of the lessons that he preached that would make you rethink your way of living and thinking about life.
1. “A jug fills drop by drop.”- Fewest words to explain probably one of the biggest teachings of life. We all start small. Do not despise small beginnings. If you’re consistent and patient, success will come. No one succeeds over night. Success belongs to those who are willing to start small and patiently work until their jug is filled.
2. “The mind is everything. What you think you become.”- A man’s mind is his greatest weapon against the diversity of the world. To live rightly, one must fill the mind with right thoughts. Whatever one thinks one can achieve. One’s actions determine the outcome. Right thinking will grant you everything you desire.
3. “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”- It’s absolutely logical. If one releases those who are held captive in the prison of un-forgiveness, it is the mind that is released from prison. You can’t keep someone down, without staying down with them. Learn to forgive people without them apologizing.
4. “However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them?”- This lesson appeals to even those who are atheist. They say “Talk is cheap,” because it is. To progress one must act; to progress quickly, one must act daily. It is as simple as that. ‘Greatness’ will never fall upon you one fine day. Greatness is for everyone, but only those who are willing to act consistently will experience it.
5. “God gives every bird a worm, but he doesn’t throw it into their nest. I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act.”- Waiting for God’s grace to fall upon you is foolishness. To succeed one must go out there and act.
6. “In a controversy, the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.”- Taking leaf from this teaching, Stephen Covey had stated, “Seek to understand first, then to be understood.”- In simple words, it is easily said that understood. One must struggle to understand another person’s perspective. It is illogical to get furious upon listening to others’ argument. An intelligent man should have the ability to expand his consciousness and listen to others and understand. Be more concerned with being happy, than being right.
7. “It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.”- Victory does not lie out there in the world. Unless one is at peace with oneself, any amount of battles won will be meaningless. One cannot be conquered if one has no wants.
8. “I can’t control my thoughts, if a thought comes, it comes. To that I say, you may not be able to stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can certainly stop him from building a nest in your hair.”- Another brilliant lesson in few lines. One cannot control their thoughts, but one can certainly stop them from lingering in the mind. It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe that lures him to evil ways.
9. “The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows.”- We all know a lot, but we don’t always do what we know. Hence, our failure most of the times is not because we didn’t know but because we didn’t do what should have done. The whole knowledge is a huge source of knowledge. Don’t just consume information, but ponder on thoughts that are conducive to what you desire to become until you have a burning desire to manifest it.
10. “It is better to travel well than to arrive.”- Life is about the journey. Do not try to arrive. Happiness is a state of mind. Of course one may experience nicer places, and finer wines, but it is all a part of the journey and there is no finality. Don’t put off your happiness into some constructed time in the future based on some goal that you think will bring you happiness.
